Marcus Agrippa (Rome character)

Marcus Agrippa
Rome character
Portrayed by	Allen Leech
Information
Gender	Male
Title	Plebeian
Family	None

Marcus Agrippa is a character in the HBO/BBC/RAI original television series Rome, played by Allen Leech. He is portrayed as an earnest, loyal and understanding young man who Gaius Octavian values highly despite being so humble. His character is based on Augustus' real-life childhood friend, soldier and ally Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

Personality

Octavian's top soldier and right-hand man, Agrippa is earnest and humble, a sharp contrast to his peers. Agrippa is very trustworthy; Octavian appears happy to send Agrippa with a personal message as well as reliable to carry out plans for alliances. He seems to understand Octavian very well and speaks of him with familiarity, although he is fully aware of his lower rank and still refers to him by his adopted title "Caesar." Agrippa is in love with Octavian's sister, Octavia, but they keep their assignations secret from her brother whom they fear would disapprove because of Agrippa's lowly birth. His high moral character stands in contrast to Octavian's cruelty and Maecenas' surreptitious corruption; despite his military genius, his moral qualms are frequently dismissed as naivety.

Although of high rank, his rising to his position from a lower class leaves Agrippa a careful man. He stops short of criticising Octavian where others of high birth may have. His honesty is surprising considering his company; when Octavian confronts his family with accusations of infidelity, Agrippa is the first to admit that he and Octavia are having an affair. After Octavian has forgiven him, an honorable Agrippa breaks off his relationship with Octavia out of respect for his friend's wishes and legal rights.

Character history

Born into a humble yet well founded family, Agrippa's home is in Campania. He first appears when Gaius Octavian sends him to Rome to give his mother and sister a message, as well as sort out a few alliances Octavian wishes to make. While Octavian's sister Octavia is taken very quickly with Agrippa's friendly charm, Atia his mother straight away sees Agrippa as a threat to her paramour Mark Antony, who is Consul. Despite Octavia's protests for Agrippa's safety, Atia sends word to Antony to inform him that Agrippa is in the city and asks him to capture him. However, Antony takes the young man's being in Rome lightly as he knows why he was there; Octavian is trying to ally with Cicero, and believing that Cicero will not betray him, he leaves Agrippa alone. Nonetheless, Agrippa manages to secure an alliance with Cicero for Octavian, and returns to Octavian and their 10,000-head legion in Campania, unharmed.

Agrippa later stumbles upon a hemp-addled Octavia at an orgy with her friend Jocasta in Heroes of the Republic, and carries her unwillingly home. Atia berates her daughter, scandalized by her behavior; she thinks it will arouse Octavian's ire, and threatens Agrippa to keep quiet. He insists he would never do anything to hurt Octavia and admits his love for her, adding the admonition to Atia that she never speak to Octavia that way in his presence again.

In the episode Philippi, Agrippa admits to Octavia that he loves her, nonetheless aware that it is hopeless for him to think a common man like him could ever marry the sister of Octavian. She insists she will be with whom she wants, but Agrippa notes, "No ... you'll marry some useful nobleman of your brother's choosing." Later, they become lovers and begin a torrid affair before Agrippa leaves with Octavian and Antony for Greece to fight Brutus and Cassius. Octavia makes a point of ignoring Agrippa when saying goodbye to her brother, but Atia realises immediately that they are romantically involved.

In Death Mask, Atia suggests that the marriage between her and longtime lover Mark Antony finally occur as a show of unity between Antony and Octavian. The men agree that such an arrangement is necessary, but to Atia's surprise it is Octavia who is betrothed to Antony. Understanding that Octavia's childbearing age makes her more suitable for the match, Atia goes along with the marriage, but is furious; Agrippa is torn between his love for Octavia and his duty to Octavian. Octavia accepts Antony's advances in bed, resigning herself to her role as his wife. However, it is not long before she and Agrippa resume their relationship.

Octavian's darker side emerges further in A Necessary Fiction as he discovers the extent of his family's sexual infidelities. Furious, and concerned over the potential political implications, Octavian commands Antony to leave Rome indefinitely, or be publicly shamed with Octavia's adultery. He sends Atia and Octavia into seclusion (under armed guard) at Atia's villa, and solemnly forgives a shamed and remorseful Agrippa. Atia later manages to sneak Agrippa into the house as a surprise for Octavia, but he brings bad news; despite her pleas for them to run away together, an honorable Agrippa has decided to break off the relationship out of respect for Octavian. Octavia accuses him of choosing the power Octavian gives him over her, and calls him a coward. As she walks away, Octavia mentions that she is pregnant; it is almost certain that the child is his. Several years later, Agrippa goes on to defeat Antony at the Battle of Actium. It is implied in the last episode of the series that the two will resume their affair following Antony's death.

Comparison to the historical Agrippa

The historical Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was born in either 64 BC or 63 BC in the countryside outside of Rome from a wealthy family holding equestrian rank. His father was Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa and his sister was Vipsania Polla. He was of the same age as Octavian and the two were close childhood friends; unlike the HBO representation, there is no evidence of a romantic relationship between Agrippa and Octavia Minor.

Agrippa was married three times; firstly to Caecilia Attica (daughter of Cicero's friend Atticus), secondly to Claudia Marcella (daughter of Octavia) both with whom he had daughters, Vipsania by Attica and Marcellina by Marcella. In 21 BC, he married Julia the Elder, the daughter of Octavian (by then named Augustus), twenty-four years his junior, with whom he fathered five children; Gaius, Julia the Younger, Lucius, Agrippina and Agrippa Postumus.

Additionally, no mention is made of Agrippa's military brilliance throughout the episodes in which he appears, with the exceptions being in the series finale, when the newsreader states that Agrippa had commanded Octavian's victorious naval forces at the Battle of Actium and the Battle of Mutina where Octavian said that the victory was mainly due to Agrippa. This omission is significant because Octavian would likely never have achieved power without Agrippa's celebrated talents as both a general and an admiral.

External links

• Marcus Agrippa at the Rome HBO website